DaDesktop for Participants – A How-To Guide

Objective

This guide is intended for participants (students) looking to join a course run on DaDesktop.

 

Overview of DaDesktop

DaDesktop is a cloud platform built specifically for IT training, catering to both instructors and learners. It employs groundbreaking DaDesktop® technology to provide virtual desktops. Each session gives participants a complete online desktop, allowing them to work through exercises under the trainer’s supervision.

It comprises three key components:

1. Management Console – a web interface for system administration, such as managing cloud desktop sessions.
2. Training Room – a collaborative environment for screen sharing, voice communication, chat, and recording lessons.
3. Remote Desktop – a virtual machine (either Windows or Linux), assigned individually to each user.
    

Prerequisites

Whether joining from your office or home, you’ll need the following:

• A computer (desktop or laptop) with a stable internet connection (at least 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload). The system supports Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• A modern web browser – either Chrome or Firefox.
• A decent microphone or headset (using a phone is possible but not advisable).
• A calm, quiet environment with minimal background noise (a coffee shop won’t suffice).
   

We also recommend:

• A webcam.
• A second monitor: follow the trainer on one screen while using your DaDesktop virtual machine for hands-on labs on the other.
• Turn off any VPN before the course begins.
• If possible, disable security software that might interfere with your network connection.
• Use a wired Ethernet connection whenever possible; if on WiFi, run a speed test (e.g., speedtest.net) to check your connection beforehand.

You might want to test joining your course and explore your DaDesktop virtual classroom ahead of time. Note that on days prior to the course start, you can only access the desktop for 15 minutes.

 

Course Access

Please be aware that course access is limited to 15-minute sessions on non-course days. On the actual course days, you can connect anytime throughout the day. Previously, access was only available shortly before the course started.

 

Keep Desktop after Course finishes

A standout benefit of DaDesktop is that participants can continue using their virtual machine after the course concludes. 

For full instructions, follow the link above.

Joining a Course

Go to the link provided by your course coordinator, such as dd4t.dadesktop.com/da/join/xxxxx.

 

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If you’re a first-time user, fill in your details in the “Account” section and click “Sign Up”. You can register using the form, or sign up with your Google or LinkedIn account.

If you already have an account, just log in.

You’ll then be directed to your course’s Management Console.

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Using the Management Console

Navigate to the “TRAINING ROOM” tab. Then, click the “Join Training Room” button.

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The Virtual Training Room will launch in a new browser tab. A pop-up will ask for permission to copy to the clipboard – click “Allow”.

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Navigating the Training Room as a Participant

The Training Room appears with a tab at the top that contains links to return to your course.

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Controls available at bottom of the screen

• You can pop out the window to a second monitor, or maximize the browser to full-screen.
• At the bottom right, a small blue toggle lets you open the DaDesktop support chat.

 

Using the new Clipboard function

The 'Clipboard' is what lets you transfer text – like URLs, functions, etc. – from your own machine into the virtual desktop.
 

When you connect to your online course or standalone desktop, a pop-up similar to this will show up. Click ‘Allow’. Please note that image copying via the clipboard isn’t supported at the moment.

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Clicking the clipboard icon in the address bar lets you modify this site’s clipboard settings.

Usage

• On Windows and Linux desktops, copy and paste as you normally would (Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V).
• On a Mac, copy as usual, then press Shift + Ctrl + V or middle-click to paste.

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If you need further assistance with this feature, please contact us..
 

Original Clipboard (for browsers that don’t support the new clipboard, such as IE, or as a fallback)

• To copy text between your computer and the DaDesktop virtual machine, type or paste into the clipboard area at the screen’s bottom left.
• Inside the virtual machine, press the middle mouse button (or scroll wheel) to paste the clipboard contents into the desktop. This works wherever text can be entered in DaDesktop, and assumes you're using the standard Linux virtual machine.
  Mac users should use Command-C to copy and Command-V to paste; after pasting into the dd4t clipboard, standard Windows shortcuts (Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V) will apply inside the virtual environment.
• On a Windows virtual machine, right-click to paste from the clipboard.

Resize the clipboard panel by clicking the green-and-white arrow icon at the bottom left.
 

 

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Using the mouse in a multi-user scenario

When multiple users are connected to the same desktop, a new feature displays the name of the person currently controlling the mouse next to the cursor. This is invaluable for collaborative work and training exercises where mouse control may switch between users.

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When more than one user is on the desktop, their usernames appear at the bottom centre.

 

 

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You can toggle this feature on or off by clicking the green ‘Info’ button at the screen’s bottom.